


when marigolds bloom

by wwhatthehonkk



Series: the pain of immortality [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author is a Clay | Dream Apologist (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Prisoner Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), immortal phil, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:09:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wwhatthehonkk/pseuds/wwhatthehonkk
Summary: phil has lived many years to witness how different societies have aged. however, on the lands of the smp, there is a being who lives life in the form of a young man that has stepped foot on this world only decades after he had—dream. phil thinks dream has been in pain for too long and is in need of help and comfort.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF) & Everyone, Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: the pain of immortality [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180205
Comments: 7
Kudos: 288





	when marigolds bloom

**Author's Note:**

> i was looking at the meaning of flowers the other day and thought that the symbolism of marigolds are very much like dream's character in the smp so thats how i came up with the title. marigolds are associated with the warmth of the sun, therefore it often conveys happiness, joy, optimism and positive energy. underlying darker meanings of them are grief, despair and mourning. 
> 
> this part also has a few descriptions of violence just like the last one so be mindful if it bothers u!!

phil has never flaunted his immortality at anyone, but he does not make the effort to hide it either. he doesn't really care if anyone finds out. his wings already attract enough attention; what harm can another peculiar trait do? he tries to tune out the barking of techno's hounds outside the house. he usually doesn't pay them any mind, but he's trying to think about an important matter today.

almost the entire smp had been called to the courthouse for a brief meeting about a fortnight ago. phil was the only one who wasn't surprised when they presented the documents portraying dream's life long before the smp came to be. many were shocked at the announcement of his disability to age. he merely listened when the whispered gossips started bouncing off the walls of the room. after all, this isn't the first time he's read those documents. he's almost certain that the documents were found in an old house he was living in centuries ago.

they all talked about how he must've been a terrible person since then—how he would never care for anyone. ranboo had asked for techno's opinion on this and the piglin hybrid only shrugged in response. the two of them are the only people that know of his immortality. the way everyone else in the room didn't speak a word about dream's horrifying and inhuman upbringing maddens him a little. dream was once human too. the three of them traveled back to the snowy fields after they were dismissed.

phil taps the wooden surface of the kitchen counter when he remembers that gut twisting scene an entire millennia ago. he recalls seeing a boy too young to be wielding any sort of weapon dancing through a field of warriors with enough bloodlust to last him an entire war. the blade of the axe clutched in his tiny hand was bigger than his torso. his loose pants clearly meant for adults were threatening to fall if not for the belt securing it around his hips. phil winces when he envisions the boy slicing through the neck of his last enemy on the battlefield.

dream is his name. phil learned this a little later while overhearing a group of soldiers' idle chat. dream had stood amongst those unmoving bodies for a solid half an hour until an army general commanded him to head back. he had followed the orders obediently like a robot. phil would continue to see this dream killing and killing and killing over the next few years.

dream disappeared for a while. it's not like phil went out looking for him all the time, but he definitely always came by him once in a while when he flew around random places. the older man only saw dream again half a decade later. he was sitting atop a large boulder by a clear lake. he had his legs crossed as he looked down at his own reflection. dream looked around him and picked up a sharp rock by his side. he unfolded one leg and brought the rock up high. he then smashed it down directly onto his shin.

phil watched as dream's eyes look at his own blood. it trickled down the boulder he was perched on and tainted the pure water beneath him. the younger blond's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and frustration as he got up and jumped down the boulder. phil didn't follow him when dream retreated into the thick vegetation of the dark oak forest. however, he realized that the new wound wasn't there anymore and blood didn't leave a trail behind him.

phil is interrupted from his reminiscing when he hears the doorknob of techno's front door twist. he looks over at it to find ranboo. "hey, mate," phil greets.

ranboo meets his eyes. "oh, hey. somebody is looking for you and techno." the endreman hybrid steps aside to allow a man to step in. phil recognizes him as george.

he tilts his head to the side in question. "george?"

"phil," he breathes out. "i need your help. techno— ranboo too if he can."

just then, techno arrives. he looks around his house cautiously. "why are there so many people in here?"

george takes a deep breath and starts talking. he tells the three of them how they are the only people he can count on anymore. he explains how he desperately needs their help to break dream out of prison. he talks about how he can't just sit around knowing about what dream has been through and not help him. phil has no problem agreeing to help him—he has wanted to offer a hand to dream for centuries now, but there was never a right time. he knows dream is only putting on a brave and cocky facade to protect himself from prying eyes.

techno and ranboo also agree to his proposal for a favor in the near future. the brunette's shoulders sag in relief. phil talks about how he would like to visit dream first before they do anything major. george looks skeptical at first, but ultimately allows it. the feat he is trying to attempt here has been named impossible by many, so he's going to need all the help he can get.

they agree to meet this weekend at techno's house again at the same time. phil makes plans to go to the prison the next day. he contacts sam through his communicator to arrange for a visit. sam instructs him to come at noon.

phil makes his way to the prison and arrives on time as requested. sam is already at the entrance, expecting him. he signs all the papers required and they start the god awfully long process of entering the heavily protected cell. he finally reaches it after roughly half an hour.

dream is stood in front of his lectern, flipping through the book on top of it. he looks up when phil steps foot on the obsidian flooring of the cell. he lifts an eyebrow in curiosity and interest when he locks eyes with the older man. dream closes the book and leans his back against the wall to face phil. "and what pleasure do i owe for seeing you today?" he muses.

"dream," phil starts, trying to keep in mind that sam is listening and also possibly watching. "i am so sorry."

the man in question furrows his eyebrows and crosses his arms. "what for?"

"i've been on this earth before you were even born. i watched on the sidelines when they captured you and forced you into killing. when they stripped away your childhood along with the sense of being human," phil explains. "i should've done something back then—anything."

dream is silent for a while. he starts talking in a low voice after seconds pass by. "... i've always felt someone watching me at that time—when they sent me out to kill all their enemy troops because they were too weak to do it themselves." he laughs darkly. "could you believe it? grown men had to send out me, a _child_ at the time, to help them win an entire war because they didn't have the manpower to by themselves."

"i know this isn't where you want to be, dream," phil states.

"you don't know anyth—"

"yes, i believe i do," phil cuts him off. "you think i only watched you during the war? i saw what you did after that too—you've built nourishing societies from nothing. you provided for them. cared for them. protected them. i saw you learn to understand your emotions better. they loved you and i know damn well you loved them too."

"you're wrong," dream breathes deeply. "if what you say is true then why is this happening? phil, i don't know if you've noticed this, but i've been thrown into an inescapable cell and i guess i truly deserve so."

the older man pauses. "dream, i've seen you suffer pain so much harsher. why do you refuse to listen to me?"

"i was stripped away from the only thing that made me human long ago. i was called a weapon. then a science experiment. and now i have nothing," the prisoner locks eyes with him. phil has to try not to flinch when he sees emerald green swimming in a pool of hurt and regret. "phil, please just go. i've caused you all so much pain already."

"i know you were only trying to protect them. you didn't want people to be divided by nations. you wanted everyone to live together and help one another," phil mutters.

dream laughs bitterly. "and where did that bring me? locked away from everyone."

"you just lost your way."

"enough, phil." dream sighs. he pushes himself off the wall and straightens his shirt. "thank you for visiting me. goodbye."

phil purses his lips and nods. he calls for sam to let him out. he knows that dream's past do not justify his actions now, but he still can't help but feel like there's an alternate ending to this era instead of dream rotting in prison while he waits it out until everyone is laid in their deathbed.

george arrives at techno's base as planned and they start conjuring up an elaborate scheme. they continue discussing and brainstorming ways to make their plan foolproof for so long that phil has to make them take a small break. ranboo offers them all his infinite supply of cake as a refresher. they all accept his offer gratefully. the blond has noticed instances throughout this entire meeting where george would flinch and have to pause. this must be quite an intense and nerve wracking situation for the former king.

george retires back to his hidden cottage somewhere in an unknown forest barely before the clock strikes midnight. ranboo returns to his base at the side of the hill behind techno's house. they are all to meet again in three days to conclude and confirm all their plans. phil opts to stay out by the fireplace for a while longer when techno announces that he will be snoring into his sheets if the older man needs him.

phil's mind wanders to glimpses of the past again during the raging war between the most feared nations. he remembers dream when he was oh so young running through the open field of big men and sharp blades clashing against shields. he remembers dream with his knees and elbows poorly wrapped in a mix of bandages and random patches of fabric. he remembers the last offensive move on the bloody land that day was a flaming arrow shot from a crossbow with dream's dainty childlike fingers pulling the trigger.

it had pierced directly into the heart of the last man of the opposing nation standing—a clean bull's eye. phil figures they should start thinking about the aftermath of dream's escape too. he would need to reside somewhere far from the smp; far from people who'd want to hunt him down and kill him as soon as they set their eyes on him. he thinks george might have a solution for this.

he is right because george tells them about how he plans to live in a faraway village with dream after all this. he tells them about how he has found away to restrict the people who can reach him through the communicators, saying he'd cut contact with everyone except phil, techno and ranboo. the enderman hybrid is given a new task to find two horses fast enough and of low maintenance to be able to accomplish this step. they bid their goodbyes earlier this time when the plans look flawless to each of them.

they meet in the nether two hours before dawn breaks in the overworld. they go over the plan one final time before the commencing the complicated operation. george and techno are to enter the prison to get dream out while ranboo breaks into the intricate redstone system and wires it so that they will be able to get out after retrieving dream. phil is standing by at his situated spot with the two horses ranboo had tamed a week prior.

a few knapsacks are secured tightly to the saddles of the horse. they carry the food and emergency supplies techno had generously offered to george. phil looks up at the blank sky as he waits patiently albeit a little nervously for the signal. five minutes later, a yellow beacon is lit up on the roof of the prison, signifying their success of the plan.

phil only nods and smiles at dream when he arrives with techno and george. the trio are panting to try and catch their breaths. the older blond only gives them a short moment before ushering dream and george onto the horses. "goodbye, dream," he bids as the horse takes off into the darkness of the night.

as he listens to the galloping of the horses get softer and softer he thinks maybe dream can make a better life in a new place.

**Author's Note:**

> my twt is @wwhatthehonkk
> 
> im planning to write a part 3 with george's pov too but i also have a dnf bridgerton au wip rn..... so we'll see :]


End file.
